Mixed Signals
by charlouis
Summary: Juliet finally asks Shawn out on a proper date - but he turns her down because he's already on a date with Abigail! How will she cope? This is TOTALLY my take on this. It's in a "universe" where Juliet and Shawn get together a little early.
1. Dreadful Timing

Juliet looks at Shawn with a gleam in her eyes.

"I just wanted to say that what you did today... I mean, I can't imagine being able to function at that level while your mom was... yeah," she says.

Shawn doesn't speak, so Juliet continues, "I am clearly not as good with words as you are, and uh, I know that things between us have been a little complicated, and there have probably been plenty of mixed signals, mostly from me, with regards to the time that we spend together outside of the line of duty-"

Shawn interrupts her. "Look, Jules-"

But Juliet cuts him off. "Ssh! Just please let me finish stumbling through this, I'm almost done, I promise. What I'm saying... is that I think that maybe the best things, the richest things, aren't supposed to come easily. And that sometimes the moments that make the most sense happen when everything else doesn't. I think you deserve more than popcorn tonight. So why don't you let me take you to dinner?"

Shawn looks intently at Juliet, and finally, he says, "Detective O'Hara, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes. A proper one," Juliet answers, eagerly awaiting his reply.

Shawn widens his eyes. "Wow. I cannot believe this," he says. "After all this time... And your timing is just awful."

Juliet gasps. "It is?"

Shawn nods his head. "Yeah. It's just dreadful. I can't go to dinner with you, Jules. Because... I'm already on a date."

Juliet gasps again. "You are?"

"It's weird - it's a little weird. But, uh... yeah. With Abigail."

Juliet nods and says, "The one that got away."

She leans in closer and kisses Shawn on the cheek, long and slow, savoring the moment.

When she backs up, she says, "Get out there. She's not going to wait forever."

Juliet turns around to leave.

"Jules!" Shawn calls. She turns back around to hear what he has left to say. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

Juliet replies bitterly, "I know." She turns again and walks away, leaving a very confused and surprised Shawn standing there with his hand to his cheek, staring after the spot where Juliet had been standing only moments ago.

Then he remembers that Abigail is waiting for him, so he picks up the tray of popcorn and drinks and brings it out to the car.

~•~•~•~

About a half hour into the movie, Abigail leans her head on Shawn's shoulder.

"How do you like the movie?" she whispers to him.

"Uh, it's good, yeah, it's, uh, it's pretty good," Shawn stammers in response.

Truthfully, he hadn't been paying much attention to the movie.

He was too busy thinking about Juliet.


	2. Venting Stress

Juliet gets to work the next day with eyes red from crying and cheeks pale from exhaustion. For once, she decides to drink some coffee because of her lack of sleep.

"Morning, O'Hara," Lassiter says with a nod of his head as she enters the office.

"Morning," she replies breathily. This week had not been very relaxing at all. The detectives had spent most of it chasing a serial killer, and as her partner, Lassiter almost knew how Juliet was feeling.

Except for the deal with Shawn.

Juliet doesn't understand why she's so devastated. She had waited almost four years to ask him out, or for him to ask her. She thought he was attractive and funny when they met in that diner, and after getting to know him she began to have deeper feelings for him. Even the silly things he'd say and do to flirt with her were appealing because they were funny.

Juliet feels stupid for asking him out while he was already on a date at that moment.

"O'Hara? Did you hear me?" Lassiter says, sounding annoyed.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Lassiter, I've just been really - uh, distracted and stressed lately. Y'know?" she says, putting her hands on her face.

"Yeah. This week was... quite eventful," he says truthfully, cocking his head to one side and shrugging his shoulders.

"And then there's that issue with Sh-" Juliet blurts unintentionally but stops herself before she can finish,

Lassiter looks at her slightly knowingly. "Anything you wanna talk about?" he says thoughtfully.

"Sort of. I honestly didn't mean to share that, but I'm just so tired and I'll have the smallest slip-ups and-"

"It's okay," Lassiter says kindly. "We're partners and we're always there for each other, O'Hara."

"I hardly got any sleep last night I've been dwelling on it so much!" Juliet says, finally beginning to release all her stress.

"Dwelling on what, exactly?" Lassiter asks.

"Well you know how Shawn and I have... well... We've had a complicated "relationship," for lack of a better word?" Juliet starts.

"Yeah." Lassiter rolls his eyes. "I still don't know what you see in him."

Juliet blushes, and then continues. "Well I finally decided to ask him out last night and he was already on a date with that girl Abigail from his high school reunion!" Juliet says very quickly.

Lassiter looks confused for a moment, like he isn't sure of what to say in response to this.

"Well," he finally says, "Maybe this means you two weren't meant to be together?" He says this as if he's still questioning it himself.

Just then, Shawn and Gus walk into their office.

"Hey Lassie. Hey Jules," Shawn says very casually, and it sounds almost forced. Gus waves and says a quick hello.

Gus is looking at her slightly oddly, and Juliet assumes that Shawn probably told him about what happened last night.

Juliet tries her best to stay cool, but it's hard when she and Lassiter were just talking about Shawn moments before. Color rises to her face, her head feels like it's spinning, and she can feel tears stinging her eyes. She hopes Shawn won't notice.

_No one has ever made me feel this way before_, Juliet realizes. _What is it about Shawn?_ she wonders.

"So Lassie, about that case the chief assigned you-" Shawn starts, but he is interrupted by Lassiter.

"Spencer, that is OUR case so forget about it!" he snaps at Shawn.

"Okay, keep your pants on, Lassie," Shawn says defensively, holding his hands out as if stopping Lassiter from attacking him.

"Get out of my office," Lassiter snaps again.

Gus says, "C'mon, Shawn, let's go," and the two back out the door slowly.

"Later Jules," Shawn says just before he leaves.

"Bye," Juliet blurts as they disappear down the hall.

Lassiter looks over at her and says, "No offense, O'Hara, but you really need to get a grip."

"I know!" Juliet agrees, putting her face in her hands once again.


End file.
